State of emergency lifted in Ulaanbaatar

On 6 July 2008 the Mongolian government lifted the state of emergency in the capital, Ulaanbaatar. The state of emergency was implemented after five people were killed when violent protests erupted into widespread rioting after allegations of election fraud in the recent parliamentary elections. The Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party (MPRP), the ruling coalition at the center of the controversy, implemented the crackdown on 1 July; however, the violence has since died down and military forces have been withdrawn from the city streets. Internet portals have reopened since the end of the state of emergency, with news broadcasts and non-state media being allowed to operate normally. Meanwhile, officials have agreed to refer the election fraud allegations against the General Election Commission to a standing parliamentary committee. Despite the calm that has returned to the capital, tensions remain in light of rumors of additional protests upon the conclusion of the state of emergency. As such, police officials have increased security in the interim around Parliament Square, with police cars stationed around the area.